THE banks of the River Gwenfro in Caia Park will be sea of colour next spring after thousands of bulbs and trees were planted as part of National Tree Week 2003.

Caia Park Environmental Group and Wrexham County Borough Council in conjunction with the Forestry Commission (Woodlands for Learning), Groundwork Wrexham & Flintshire, Wales Tidy, BTCV Cymru and the Wrexham Biodiversity Group organised the tree and bulb planting day.

Caia Park Environmental Group received an Environmental Improvement Award from Britain in Bloom of £200.

This money and sponsorship money from St Anne's RC Primary School, Hafod Y Wern Junior School, Caia Park Nursery School and £25 donated by Communities First was used to purchase bulbs native to the UK.

And a number of native trees including three rare black poplars donated by BTCV Norley Nursery, Cheshire were planted with the bulbs scattered in the surrounding area.

Around 80 children from schools that donated sponsorship money, planted 11 of 53 large trees.

And Wrexham footballer Chris Armstrong, Caia Park community beat officers Dave Evans and Luke Hughes, the mayor of Wrexham Aled Roberts, Caia Park Community clerk Vernon Hughes and deputy leader of the council Councillor Alun Jenkins all mucked in during the day.

Dorothy Mitchell, chairwoman of Caia Park Environmental Group said: 'It was good to see everyone working together to improve the local environment in Caia Park, especially children from local schools who represent the future of the area.

'They will be able to watch the trees grow and in years to come can say to their children, I planted that tree.'

She added: 'I would also like to say a big thank you to all the people who have helped out during the day including Wrexham council's Llay depot who planted the majority of the trees in such a short period of time.'